Cheltenham

Cheltenham's population grew in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, marriage and health.

The population reached nearly 120,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Cheltenham increased by 5.2%, from about 110,000 to 116,000.

The addition of about 5,700 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Cheltenham was home to, on average, 18 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Fewer people worked long hours

Census 2011 data also show a change in the working patterns of many in Cheltenham.

The percentage of employed people in Cheltenham working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 11% in 2001 to 8.7% in 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.3%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.4% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 13% in 2001 to 10% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Cheltenham decreased by 2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Cheltenham, the South West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Cheltenham at a faster rate than across the South West.

In Cheltenham, the proportion of private renting increased from 13% in 2001 to 21% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 11% to 17%.

Across England, the share of privately rented homes increased from 9.9% to 17%.

The rate of social housing in Cheltenham fell from 13% to 12%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 71% to 65%.

Private renting in Cheltenham increased by 8.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Cheltenham, the South West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

The percentage of married people fell here, but at a slower rate than in Worcester, a statistically similar local authority area.

In Cheltenham, the proportion of married people decreased from 47% in 2001 to 43% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Worcester decreased from 51% to 45%.

Across the South West, the share of married people decreased from 53% to 49%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Cheltenham increased from 34% to 39%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 11% to 12%.

The proportion of married people was lower than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were married across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Cheltenham residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.4% to 4.0% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (84%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 71% in 2001. The percentage of Cheltenham residents that described their health as fair decreased from 21% to 12%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Cheltenham decreased by 3.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Cheltenham, the South West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Cheltenham

The number of people in Cheltenham from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just over 2,000 in 2001 to about 3,700 in 2011. This represents a change from 1.8% to 3.2% of the local population.

The percentage increased at a similar rate to the average across the South West (from 1.0% to 2.0%), but at a slower rate than the average across England (from 5.2% to 8.0%).

The number of people in Cheltenham from the White ethnic groups remained close to 110,000 between the last two censuses (from 97% to 94% of the population). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just over 960 to about 1,900 (from 0.9% to 1.6%).

About 720 people (0.3%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just under 350 in 2001 (0.6%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Cheltenham increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Cheltenham by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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